Ah...there we go. The first time I tried to post this picture, it posted at the top... where it meant nothing. Cute, eh? Ok, let me see if I can post one of her with her pumpin... I'd like to post the entire class, but I don't think that would be appropriate. Not everyone wants their kids pictures on the internet! Ok...
In other "crazy around here" news, have been trying to potty train Miss Alex, and it is NOT going well. Not well at all. That child is... well, I have a friend who said she's a stinker, and that about sums it up. Little girl's got attitude to spare. I love her to death, and she absolutely does drive me up a wall when she simply refuses to do something I ask, which is often enough. I've been putting her in her room, which she hates, so it's effective. The corner is NOT effective, and of course, we don't spank (though I have my moments when I wonder if that would work on her! She does tend to be the most defiant of all the girls) It's gonna be interesting to see what she's like as a teenager considering what she's like as a toddler. She's a sweetheart though, and very, VERY funny. If she sees you in pain, she does what she can to comfort you. Oh, and she's incredibly protective. I once had a woman screaming at me, and Alex stood up and told her to stop it. Sammi and Shabree were just too scared to do anything (which is what I would expect actually). So her attitude has its pros. She speaks her mind! She's not going to be a person that lets herself get walked all over :) That's a good thing if you ask me. She may need to temper it and learn how to effectively rebuke people in a "nice" way, but she's not going to be a "too nice" person.... she will stand her ground. I stand my ground, but confrontation leaves me shaky, I hate it. I do try to avoid it, if possible... but I am not going to let people abuse me, or dis-respect me, or walk all over me. It can be hard though to do that. Sometimes it's just easier and perhaps better to let things go.
What else is there? Shabree and Sydni are off at Carroll's Fall Festival. I can barely believe that Shabree's in the 4th grade and Sammi started Kindergarten... ouch. That just leaves Alex. People STILL ask me if there are plans for another, and my answer is always the same... I have my moments of wanting another, but I quash them like a bug and remind myself that I am 41 years old and 5 children is PLENTY! Even if I only gave birth to 3 of them... Alex's pregnancy was hard on me. Plus, I am SO glad to be done with baby-hood, which is just time consuming and exhausting. It's a little hard to watch them growing up and know there's not another one behind, but I'll bet within 10 years or so, Bec or Syd will gave a child. Though I'm still not convinced that Bec should have children... maybe she'll be better with her own, she's awfully hard on her sisters, to a point where Alex wants little to do with her and she's managing to alienate most of them. We'll see. She's just not very loving or affectionate, or patient. Of course, she's 16, so that can ALL change. When I was her age, I loved being around little kids, but maybe it's different when they're your sisters and often you're thrown into more of a parental role. However, Becca is parental with an edge to her. One day a week or two ago, I came home to 3 of the 4 younger ones crying... Alex is generally "too tough" to cry, so it was Sammi, Shabree and Sydni, and I think perhaps Alex was yelling, but don't quote me, I can't remember for sure. Becca had managed to hurt Shabree and Sydni and scared Sammi into tears with her yelling. Now... I know I've yelled in the past, but I told Bec the difference between me and her, is that I'm TRYING to get a hold of my yelling (and I'm doing a good job of it too... though I get Sydni when I've barely raised my voice telling me to stop yelling, which is actually her way of trying to control me. Irritating) I think if Becca has kids, she should really wait til she's much older and wiser. The way she is now, I think her kids would wonder if their mommy loved them or not. I can see her taking care of them in a perfunctory way, but not a loving way... again though, this IS based on how she treats her sisters, and I may be completely wrong. But she's not really affectionate with ANYONE, not even her dad or mom. Now Sydni, she'll take a hug or a kiss from any of us, and she IS affectionate, and I can see her raising her kids in a way where they WILL feel loved. Shabree too, though she's going to have to force herself to change diapers, lol... kind of funny, of those three... I think Syd would probably make the best mom for her blend of lovingness but ability to get things done when she wants to. Bec gets things done, Shabree doesn't. Shabree is loving and affectionate as well, but she will more than likely struggle to keep a house up... following in my footsteps there, though I hope NOT.... she could certainly take after Jerry there, that would be good.
Sammi is reading me a "My Little Pony" book...we've got to work on her sight words while off-track, along with getting rooms cleaned up, and the house looking MUCH better. I've almost got the laundry conquered, though I haven't done any in a couple of days, which I am going to regret...maybe I should go put in a load now.
I'm getting kind of tired of writing anyway, so will go do that :). I'll have to write about myself, but that is going to need a different blog. Crazy Around Here is supposed to be family oriented.... bye!
